Imire Volunteer Program Reviews

I stayed at the Imire Volunteer Accommodation for two weeks in September and fell in love with this program. Out of the 35 countries I have visited, this was my favorite experience so far. Visit their website: www.imirevolunteers.org. I would also recommend watching, "There's a Rhino in My House" on YouTube, which was filmed at Imire. John and Judy Travers raised a baby rhino in her house.

Every morning I got to have either rhinos or elephants as my companion on my morning walks before breakfast. I was able to hand feed and pet black rhino on multiple occassions with supervision. I also got to work hard on various volunteer projects such as building a watch tower for the poaching patrol, distributing feed for the animals, and other various tasks.

I found the volunteer accommodation exceptional and beyond all my expectations. The volunteer house is an English style house with large rooms and multiple sleeping options. The house is on a small lake with fishing and breath-taking sunsets. They have a fresh garden and the food was very good. Most meals contain plenty of fruits and vegetables and multiple food options.

I would recommend talking to the volunteer coordinator about anything that you may want to do in your free time (fishing, hiking, rock climbing, swimming with elephants, bush camping, learning bush skills, etc.). The Imire team is fantastic and very accommodating. I would also highly recommend a hike up to the top of Castle Kopje for stunning views of the sunsets.

I would encourage you to get to know the elephant handlers and the rhino handlers. They truly love the animals that they care for. They are also some of the funniest & happy people you will ever meet.

Beyond African elephats and Black Rhino, they have four out of the Big 5 and plenty of game including: zebra, giraffe, Sable Antelope, Waterbuck, buffalo, wildebeests, Kudu, and other hoofstock.

I truly enjoyed my stay and plan on returning in the future, as many of the volunteers do.